What's your biggest Pole fear?

Iguana. Scares the shit out of me.

Elbow grip Ayesha...I felt like my bottom shoulder was going to dislocate the first couple times I tried it

Heights. :/ I don't mind climbing to the top of the poles at the studio... but after 2 climbs i don't love to be inverted. Especially hands free. Sometimes its fine and other times I start to freeze, and break out into a cold sweat and get dizzy. It actually happens sometimes when my husband and I do some scary hiking. I have cried through a few sections of trail. That, and forearms stands. I'm not super comfortable in handstands (against something obviously) But forearm stands are just awful for me. I can't even give it a little kick up, because I'm wayyyyy too hesitant and afraid.

Not being able to progress. Being that I can no longer go to the studio in town right now, I fear all my progress will be lost, and anything in the future will also be gone. I mean... that, and also anything that has me upside down, facing the ground. I'm not scared when I'm in a leg hang, CKR, Chopper... but I am scared when I'm in Inverted Crucifix! Something about facing the ground. But mostly the progression thing. If I can't progress, I'll never get to know all the moves I want to learn. And, I fear being taught in ways that don't promote grace and interesting movement. I recently did a Teaching Foundations class with Tammy Morris, and her pirouettes and turns were GORGEOUS, and I have literally never been taught anything even close to that, till her. It sucks to think that, even such a simple move, could be made more beautiful if only someone thought to pass that knowledge along (especially for those of us with no dance background). But literally mostly the progress thing.

I posted this to my FB page and it's interesting how the answers here are more in depth! Allyson I think that a very common problem, I don't love to dance up super high but if I know the pole it doesn't bother me at 10 ft, but more than that isn't my comfort level!! Phoenix that's interesting about the iguana! I know a lot of dancers who are very scared of that move too. Robin, that's not normal, if you do still feel that way sounds like you might want to take more time to strengthen the shoulders.

Physically, falling on my head. On a higher level, not being understood. I am a very normal person, with a normal life and an office work. But I like the sexy side of pole and floorwork. I'm not into muscly tricks. I'm not interested in things that cannot be done in heels. But I don't want to be missunderstood.

I'm going to agree with some of these ladies and say falling!! My pole is not very high so I have not been faced with that aspect, but I did have my first real fall the other day. I was trying the Marion Amber. I did it, (sorta) but was trying to work on perfecting it when I all the sudden lost my grip and fell on my face! I had the crash pad down, so I didn't get hurt, but it was a little unnerving. I'm poling at home with no supervision which probably isn't the smartest, but I can't help myself. It's just so fun!! Honestly, I probably don't let it scare me as much as it should. I just keep things low and with a crash pad on the scary stuff and get back up and try again!!

My greatest fear has to be falling, and coping with hands that decide to break out in a huge sweat just at the moment I seriously need good grip. My other fear is the excuses that I make to myself for not leaving my comfort zone & pushing myself to find how much I could achieve.

I am petrified of the elbow grip Ayesha; I will only do split grip. I am also afraid to invert higher than maybe 1 or 2 climbs. The most recent addition to the list seems to be a fear of ANYTHING I do on my pole at home. It's crazy-I'm fine in the studio but have developed some sort of mental block at home. Has anyone else experienced this?

CAR and various other laybacks but mostly something where I'm just gripping with thighs. I fell out of an advanced plank pretty hard early on so maybe that's part of it. And going over toward my back in a handstand. Was no problem when I was young but my back is so inflexible now I'm afraid it will crack in half or I will slam into the floor flat on my back if I go over.

Grayeyes, I think a lot of people worry about poling alone. I say the most important thing is to stay within your comfort zone, use a crash mat and keep a phone near by. We can focus so much on the things we're scare of we end up manifesting them! It's good to have respect for your pole and abilities, as long as you keep it reasonable it'll be fine. For some that might mean only doing floor work or avoiding inverts at home and that's totally ok!

Greyeyes I totally know instructors who wont practice combos at ALL without anyone around. Totally normal. I had a scary falling over handstand experience and knocked the wind out of myself....am terrified of freestanding handstands/forearmstands/all the stands now O_O